#IMEANIT: Wounded Warrior Project Calls on Nation to Stand by
Severely Injured Service Members

March 14, 2014 12:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) today calls on the American public to
pledge to stand by the nation’s severely injured service members for a
lifetime. WWP’s #IMEANIT campaign further reinforces this year’s $30
million commitment made by WWP in 2014 to help 250 of the most severely
injured warriors who will need a lifetime of support. Supporters are
asked to sign the online pledge and share it with their social
communities, families and friends.

By becoming an online advocate for severely injured service members,
participants become part of the battle to ensure that our nation’s
heroes will receive their veteran
benefits, the lifetime of care and support they deserve. In addition
to signing the pledge, supporters can embed a free banner into their
website or blog. To sign the pledge and access the free banners,
supporters can visit the #IMEANIT
page.

“For 10 years Wounded Warrior Project has been committed to helping
returning warriors fight the battle back home, to ensure they get the
care, attention, and support they deserve,” said Steve Nardizzi, Chief
Executive Officer of WWP. “For some of the most severely injured it will
be a lifelong battle, one that must be supported by their families,
communities, and the American public. When we say WWP is committed for a
lifetime, we mean it, and we are calling on the nation that these
warriors served and sacrificed for to pledge their commitment as well.”

Provided by generous donors across America, this year’s $30 million
pledge from WWP serves as the model for the decades of support to
provide for this generation’s most vulnerable warriors and ensure they
are able to live as rewarding and independent a life as possible.

The funding serves the most severely wounded service members through two
separate initiatives: The Independence Program and The Long-Term Support
Trust. The Independence Program helps warriors live life to the fullest,
on their own terms. The Program works with the warrior and his or her
full support team while creating an individualized plan for each warrior
– focusing on goals that provide a future with purpose at no cost to the
warrior and his or her support team. The Program helps warriors develop
a personalized plan that targets the warrior’s needs or interests. For
many, this is the opportunity to participate in the types of daily tasks
and meaningful activities many people take for granted. Each warrior’s
roadmap is developed to their own interests and goals for independence
and quality of life, as are the resources brought to bear. Activities
include speech and literacy training, social skills coaching,
independence and community integration techniques, mental health
counseling, and development of career goals and leadership skills.

The Long-Term Support Trust was developed as a dedicated funding source
to ensure services including life-skills training, home care,
transportation, and additional resources remain available to the
severely wounded, who, upon the loss of their caregiver, would be at
risk for institutionalization. This year, the fund’s first in existence,
will see up to 40 warriors enrolled in the Trust, where they will
receive access to secured funding allocated to cover the costs of up to
20 years of support services designed to keep these most vulnerable
warriors in their homes, or the least restrictive settings possible.

By 2017, with the continued support of generous donors and supporters
around this country, WWP’s goal is to serve 1,040 warriors through the
Long-Term Support Trust and 1,150 warriors through the Independence
Program. With the average cost per warrior per month enrolled in the
Independence Program at $3,715, the need for dedicated and committed
supporters is greater than ever.

“For many warriors, the battle continues long after they return from
conflict, and they discover that the help they thought they would
receive doesn’t even begin to cover what they really need,” Nardizzi
said. “That is why WWP is not just committed for today or tomorrow, but
for a lifetime.”

For warriors or family members interested in these programs, please
contact the WWP Resource Center by clicking
here.

Wounded Warrior Project

Wounded Warrior Project is recognizing its ten-year anniversary,
reflecting on a decade of service and reaffirming its commitment to
serving Wounded Warriors for their lifetime. The mission of Wounded
Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. WWP’s
purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the
needs of injured service members, to help injured servicemen and women
aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and
services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, nonpartisan
organization headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. To get involved and
learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.